This section is taken from the chapter Town of West Gardiner; starting on page 677

PERSONAL PARAGRAPHS

Joseph E. Babb, son of Joseph and Margaret (Davis) Babb, both of Litchfield, was born in 1839, and is a farmer. He married Armina, daughter of Joseph Roberts. She died leaving two children: Flora E. and Annie M. His present wife was Mrs. martha E. Allen, daughter of William Grover. Mr. Babb enlisted August 15, 1861, in Company D. 7th Maine Volunteers, and reenlisted at Brandy Station, Va., in December, 1863. He served in the 7th Regiment until September, 1863, when the 5th, 6th and 7th were consolidated as the 1st Maine Veterans and he was transferred to Company I of the latter regiment. He was discharged at Washington, D.C., June 28, 1865.

John C. Babcock, son of John Babcock, was born in 1824, at Newcastle, Me. He followed the sea fourteen years, and after farming fourteen years in Mexico, Me., he came to West Gardiner in 1865 and bought the Annis Spear place, where he now lives. He married Harriet, daughter of John Brookins, of Pittston. They have eight children.

Alvin W. Brannis the ninth child of Moses and Susan (Thompson) Brann, who came from Berwick, Me., to West Gardiner. Mr. Brann is a farmer. He was collector of taxes two years and is now (1891) serving his eight year as selectman. He married Lovisa J., daughter of Zebulon Wright, of Lewiston, Me. Their two daughters are: Nellie F. (Mrs. H.H. Hunt) and Ida Belle.

James H. Buck, only son of Ira and Mary (Nash) Buck, was born in 1837, and is a farmer and wholesale and retail produce dealer. He married Martha, daughter of Ephraim Wadsworth, granddaughter of Moses and great-granddaughter of John Wadsworth. She died and he married her sister, Lizzie Wadsworth.

Charles O. Clough, son of Isaiah and Mary (Haskell) Clough, and grandson of Josiah Clough, was born in 1820, and is a carpenter and farmer. He married Vesta A., daughter of David Dyer, of Fall River, Mass. They have four children: Anna, Hartwell, Willis and Lillian.

Captain John Collins, born in 1816, is a son of Paul and Mary (Winslow) Collins, grandson of Samuel and Hannah (Dow) Collins, and great-grandson of Tristram Collins, of Ware, N.H. Paul Collins settled in Litchfield (now Manchester) in 1803 and John Collins lived there until 1854, when he removed to his present home in West Gardiner, where he has since been a farmer and manufacturer. When Paul Collins came from new Hampshire, he brought, on horseback, two hundred apple trees, and set an orchard which is still standing. John Collins married Emily, daughter of Major Adam Winslow and granddaughter of Hezekiah Winslow, of West Falmouth, Me. Their children are: Frank S., Alice M. (Mrs. J.W. Larrabee) and one son that died in infancy.

William H. Curtis, born in 1836, was a son of John Curtis, who came from England when twenty years old and settled in Hallowell. Mr. Curtis was a farmer and speculator; the farm of one hundred acres where he lived for several years, and where his widow and youngest son now live, was originally the John Merrill farm. Mr. Curtis died in 1891. His wife was Marantha A., daughter of John and Mary (Sawyer) Fogg. Their three children were: Flora (Mrs. William Parkhurst), J. Frank and Charles T.

J. Frank Curtis, son of William H. Curtis, was born April 6, 1863. At the age of fourteen he began to work at the meat business with his father, and he has made it his principal business since that time. In 1884 he married Isabell Benner, of West Gardiner.

Thomas M. De Fratis, born in 1843, is the son of Captain De Fratis. He married Nellie M., daughter of N.J. Benner, of West Gardiner. He was in the drug business in Monmouth for a time, three years in confectionery business in Boston, and since 1882 he has been employed in a soda manufactory in Boston.

Elijah Farr is the son of William and the grandson of Noah Farr, who came to Harpswell, Me., before 1800, from Cape Cod. William Farr, an early settler in West Gardiner, was widley known as a prominent member of the Society of Friends. His first wife was Eunice Briggs, of Winthrop, and their two children were Christina and Eunice. Eunice Wadsworth, his second wife, was a relative of General James S. Wadsworth, of Livingston county, who was killed int he battle of the Wilderness. Their children were: Lydia Ann, William H., Elijah, Daniel and Sibyl. William Farr was born in 1798 and died in 1880. Mrs. Farr, born in 1809, now lives with her son, Elijah. He was born in West Gardiner in 1840, and married Carrie Wilson, of Lewiston, in 1869. mrs. Farr died in 1888. Mr. Farr has, like his father and his grandfather, always been a farmer. He was one of the selectmen of his town for seven years.

Seward Merrill, born in West Gardiner in 1828, is a son of Daniel and Lydia (Godfrey) Merrill. He served int he late war in Company B, 7th Maine, as teamster for three years. He was a teamster in Boston for a number of years, and for the last fifteen years he has been watchman in Hallett, Davis and Co.'s piano manufactory, Boston. His wife, Angeline, was a daughter of Charles and Catherine Hinckley. She died in 1891.

Daniel Robinson, born April 8, 1777, in Gloucester, Mass., was a son of Ezekiel Robinson, born November 16, 1738, at Gloucester, Mass., and died at Halifax, N.S., a prisoner of war, in 1777. His wife was Abigail Tarbox, of Gloucester, Mass. Their children were: Polly, Ezekiel, jun., William T. and Daniel. At the age of four years Daniel, the youngest child, was adopted by his uncle, of Newburyport, whose name he bore. His uncle's wife became his early preceptress, and from her tuition he attended the public school, high school, and various seminaries. At the age of twenty he began teaching school, and continued in that vocation until about 1830. His literary work after that date is noticed at page 265. In 1798 he married Rebecca, daughter of major Benjamin Bodge. Of their five children three are now living: Eunice B., widow of Emerson Titcomb; Daniel, now of Boston, and Pamelia G., the widow of Johnson K. Allen. Mr. Robinson died December 7, 1854.

Captain Thomas B. Sampson was a son of Captain Chapin Sampson mentioned at page 671, who commanded vessels in the merchant service until he retired from the sea and settled ont he farm where he died December 29, 1853, at the ripe age of eighty-six. He married Sarah Smith, of Boston, and that union was blessed with nine children. The fourth child and third son of this family was Thomas B., whose portrait appears on the opposite page. He was born February 6, 1797, at Waldoboro, Me. He received the advantages of the common schools of those times, and at an early age began an apprenticeship to a spar maker in Boston, where he remained until the beginning of the war of 1812. Circumstances transpired in 1813 that fired the patriotism of the young mechanic, and he abandoned the tools of his carft and at once enlisted in the navy, where he served his country for two years. Here a taste for a seafaring life was acquired. On being discharged from the navy he decided to enter the merchant service, and shipped "before the mast." It was not long, however, before he became a chief officer, and in 1824 he became master of a vessel. Skillful seamanship, good judgement, and superior executive ability characterized his career in the European trade, where he operated successfully as master of vessels for 34 years. In 1858 he sold his vessel property and retired to his farm to enjoy his well earned and ample competency.
His marriage May 15, 1826, was with Harriet B., the eldest daughter of Deacon Nathaniel and Sarah (Abbott) Currier. Their four children, who are all dead, were: Harriet E., the wife of Dr. Chadbourn W. Whitmore; Adelia B., William C. and Thomas C., who was a druggist in Bath, Me., where he died in 1859, leaving a widow, Charlotte M. (Jackson) Sampson.
In 1826 Captain Sampson bought a farm place in West Gardiner, which was his home for the remainder of his life, which terminated August 31, 1873. In the family lot a few rods south of the house reset his honored ashes, near those of his parents. His widow, who survives him, still owns the farm, though she has resided in Auburn, Me., since the death of her daughter, Mrs. Whitmore, with whom she lived after her husband's death.
Captain Sampson was much beloved int he community in which he lived, for his uprightness of character, and was respected by all who knew him for his firm, just and reliable dealings. His record is one of honor, a record of honest labor and duties conscientiously performed. Politically, he was a democrat of the Jeffersonian type, though the quiet retirement of his home was more congenial to his tastes than political office or activity in social organizations. But his heart was too large to embrace his own kin only, an dhis generosity opened his home to the homeless and his purse to the needy. In his life journey of more than three quarters of a century he left many a footprint ont he sands of time for the benefit of future generations.

Ezekiel R. Edwards, born in 1825, is a son of Cypran J. and Susan H. (Robinson) Edwards and grandson of Joshua and Mary (Stevens) Edwards. Joshua served seven years in the revolutionary war. He came from Connecticut to Maine. Mr. Edwards is a farmer on the farm where his father lived and near where his grandfather settled when he came ot West Gardiner. He married Lydia A., daughter of John M. Gove. Their two daughters are: Inez J. (Mrs. George J. Ring) and Annie M.

George A. Fuller, born in 1828, is a son of Deacon Daniel Fuller. He is a farmer. He married Charlotte Augusta, daughter of Ebenezer Swift, and they have had three children: Alberton G., Edith H. and Eva G. (deceased).

Frank E. Fuller, born in 1842, is a son of Deacon Daniel Fuller and is a farmer on the homestead of John W. Herrick. He married in 1874, Helen A., daughter of John W. and Susan A. (French) Herrick. They have one child: Blanche M. Daniel Herrick and his wife came from Ipswich and Gloucester, Mass., to Gardiner and bought the farm where Mr. Fuller resides, in the year 1802. He was a carpenter by trade, and when not at work at his trade he was engaged in clearing up his farm and getting together materials with which to build a house. The house was commenced in 1807 and finished a few years later. It is now in good repair and owned and occupied by the third generation. Daniel herrick died in 1841, aged 60 years; Elizabeth Herrick, 1851, aged 67 years. They had eight children: Eliza A., died August 18, 1843, aged 35 years; Captain Daniel, October, 1846, aged 38; Sarah Jane, September 15, 1837, aged 21; Gorham, September, 30, 1825, aged 18; Gorham, November 5, 1832, aged 3; Sophronia W., September 20, 1843, aged 18; Mary, October, 1867, aged 58; John W., May 30, 1887, aged 67. After the death of Daniel Herrick his son, John W., took the farm and lived there until his death. In 1848 he was appointed postmaster, and held the office nearly eight years. He was again appointed in 1861 and served until 1865, when he resigned in favor of William P. Haskell. He was several times chosen chairman of the board of selectmen and collector of taxes. He was married in 1844, to Susan A. French, and they had five children: Helen A., born September 7, 1846; Florence I., born August 5, 1850, died March 24, 1867; Clara V., born February 10, 1853, died Apr. 4, 1867; Cora I., born February 28, 1855, died March 23, 1867; Hattie N., born November 15, 1861, died March 20, 1867. Several additions have been made to the farm from time to time. The grounds around the house are beautifully ornamented with shade trees, giving the place a very pleasing appearance.

Horace A. Fuller, born in 1849, is the youngest of fifteen children of Deacon Daniel and Annie (Lord) Fuller and grandson of William and Lucy (Hodgkins) Fuller. Mr. Fuller is a farmer on the farm where his grandfather settled in 1806, when he came from Ipswich, Mass. He married Mary, daughter of Moses Rogers, and their children are: Lewis W. and Marion, and one son that died in infancy.

Hugh Getchell, father of Asa Getchell, came from Durham, Mass., about 1815 and settled where Thomas Goodwin now lives. Clarence E. Getchell, son of Asa, married, first, Kate Gordon, by whom he had three children: Hugh, Fuller J. and Forrest. Hugh was drowned when seventeen years old, while bathing in the Cobbosseecontee. In 1883 Clarence E. married his second wife, Isabel Bachelor. They have one child, Lucy.

Hubbard Goldsmith, born in Litchfield in 1814, is a son of Isaac and Mary (Johnson) Goldsmith. He lived several years in Richmond, and in 1867 came to Gardiner, where he was a farmer (with the exception of one year in the livery business) until 1875, when he came to West Gardiner, where he now resides. He married Helen S., daughter of Elijah Robinson. She is deceased. Of their twelve children, eight are living; Hubbard, jun., Charles B., Aarabine, Hettie, William, Mary M., Wilbur and J. Fred.

Charles S. Greene, son of Levi B. and Eleanor S. (Ware) Greene and grandson of Isaac Greene, was born in 1836, and is a farmer. Since 1877 he has kept a grocery and feed store. He married Judith W., daughter of Otis Perry, and their children are: Mary E., Samuel O. and Hattie L.

William P. Haskell, the only surviving child of Joseph and Mary Haskell, was born in 1828, and has been a merchant at West Gardiner since 1865. He has been town clerk since 1863 with the exception of one year, was postmaster twenty years, and has held every office of the town except school committee. He represented the district in the legislature in 1877. He married Helen M., daughter of Daniel Burns. Their children are: Mary F., Clara G., Abbie L. and William P. (deceased.)

Samuel Horn, father of Archibald and Eben Horn, was a tanner by trade. He came from Hallowell and lived in West Gardiner for about fifty-five years, dying in 1890. Archibald was born in West Gardiner in 1853, and married Christina Willis in 1883. Eben was born in West Gardiner in 1855. February 14, 1877, he married Maggie A. Hayward. They have three children: Erving Hayward, born June 8, 1878; Harry Cliford, and Hallise Leon, born June 20, 1881.

Elijah Jackson, born in Pittston in 1821, is a son of Elijah and Abigail (Cutts) Jackson, and grandson of Thomas Jackson. Mr. Jackson followed the sea from 1839 until 1868, when he came to West Gardiner, where he is a farmer. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Rufus and Judity (Kapham) Lord. Their children are: Clarence S., of Gardiner; Nellie M. and Ettie F.

Thomas Lunt, born in Gardiner in 1834, is the eldest of nine children of Joseph W. and Mary (Brann) Lund, grandson of Joseph and Lydia (Warf) Lunt, and great-grandson of Captain William Lunt. Mr. Lunt served in the late war in Company C, 1st Maine Cavalry, from December, 1861, to December, 1864. Before the war he was a paper maker, and since then has been a farmer. He married Frances A., daughter of Jonathan B. Allard. They have two children: Joseph W. and Percy Thomas.

James McCausland, son of Jerry and Olive (Cram) McCausland, and grandson of James and Mary (Berry) McCausland, was born in 1821, and carries on the farm where his father settled in 1814. He is one of ten children, five of whom are living: Olive C., james, Thomas C., Nancy H. and Julia A.

William D. Marston is a son of Daniel and Nancy (Freeman) Marston, and grandson of nathaniel and Eleanor (Watson) Marston, the latter of Litchfield, Me. Nathaniel Marston came from New Hampshire to Winthrop, and in 1806 settled in West Gardiner. Nancy W. Freeman, wife of Daniel marston, was from Westbrook, Me. William D. is a farmer on the farm where his father lived. He is one of nine children, seven of whom are living: Gustavus A. (deceased), married Catharine F. Burr, of Litchfield, Me.; Mary Isabella, married Charles R. Gilman, of Monmouth, Me.; Eleanor M., married Oliver S. Eddwards, of West Gardiner; Charlotte W., married Duncan M. Ross, of Portland, Me.; William D., married Olive F. Allen, of Boston, Mass; Daniel E., married Ellen E. Merserve, of Richmond, Me.; Ann E., married James B. Crossman, of Durham, Me.; Emma F., married Nathaniel J. Benner, of Monmouth, Me.; Abbie T. (deceased), married Daniel Bean, of mt. Vernon, Me.

Daniel E. Merrill, son of Daniel and Lydia (Godfrey) Merrill, who came from Gorham, Me., in 1810, was born in 1833, and lives in the brick house built by his father in 1850. He was mining in California from 1857 until March, 1863, when he enlisted in the army, serving until July, 1865, when he was discharged as sergeant of Company E., 2d Mass. Cavalry, and has since been a farmer on the old homestead. He married Ellen S., daughter of Rev. Jairus and Sophia (Cargill) Fuller, and has two children: Evelyn M. and Alfred R.

Edward S. Norton, the youngest and only survivor of nine children of William and Sarah (Bradstreet) Norton, was born in 1818. He was fifteen years employed as a paper maker, and in 1841 bought the farm in West Gardiner where he now lives. He married Caroline, daughter of Solomon Hatch. She died in 1860, leaving three daughters: Sarah B. (Mrs. James Brann), Julia (Mrs. Eugene Collins), and Mary (Mrs. M. Roach). Their eldest child, George E., was born September 21, 1841, and died October 2, 1845. His second marriage was with Frances Libby, by whom he has one son, Edward L.

Elijah Pope and Susanna (Capen), his wife, came, in 1816, from Stoughton, Mass., and settled the farm on which his grandson, George H. Pope, now lives. From his cellar he dug the clay and made all the bricks for his large, fine house, which is still in excellent condition. This has probably never been done in West Gardiner before no since. Elijah died in 1864; his wife died in 1881, aged 92. His son, Hiram, married Dorcas Ann Blanchard, of West Gardiner, and died on the old homestead in 1886. His son, George Hiram Pope, married Abbie Issabel Brann, December 24, 1874. They have three children: Hiram F., Clara Belle and Forrest G. Mr. Pope is a farmer and manufacturer, and has been town treasurer twelve years.

Robert D. Rhoades, born in 1829, is a son of Chester and Mercy (Douglass) Rhoades. Chester Rhoades came from New Hampshire to Maine in 1814, and in 1824 settled in West Gardiner, where he died in 1882, aged 83 years. Robert D. was railroading seven years and since 1855 has been a farmer. He married Almira M., daughter of Joseph Fuller. Their daughters are: Lizzie A. (Mrs. James F. Booker) and Myra B. (Mrs. John Cragan.)

James Spear, born in 1800, was a son of Annis and Sarah (Hildreth) Spear. He was a farmer, and until his death in 1871 his home was where his two youngest children now live. He married Mary Ann Merrill, and of their twelve children six are now living: Mary Elizabeth (Mrs. Wright), Melissa (Mrs. Gilman), Leander, Alonzo, James Abbott and Annette M.

John Spear, 2d, son of John and Mary (Potter) Spear, and grandson of Israel Spear, was born in 1826. His father was a pensioner of the war of 1812. Mr. Spear served in the late war from March, 1864, to July, 1865, in Company I, 31st Maine Volunteers. He married Rebecca, daughter of David and Sarah (Smith) Bassett, and granddaughter of David Bassett. Their children are: Flora E., Millard F., Philossa A., and S. Emeline.

Alpheus Spear, born in 1838, is a son of Richard and Priscilla (Lunt) Spear and grandson of Israel Spear. He is a teacher and farmer, and is now a memeber of the school committee. He married Elura L., daughter of Orlando F.D. Blake and granddaughter of John S. Blake.

John A. Spear, son of Richard and Priscilla (Lunt) Spear, was born in 1844. He was in his country's service during the civil war. He is a school teacher and farmer. He served nine years on the board of selectmen, three years as supervisor of schools and several years as member of the school committee. He married Lizzie, daughter of Samuel P. Stinson. Their children are: Bertha and Edward.

Joseph Trafton, the youngest of ten children of Thomas and Jerusha (Oliver) Trafton and grandson of Jotham Trafton, was born in 1838, and is a farmer. He served in the late war in Company I, 24th Maine Volunteers. He married Mary E., daughter of Hiram Haines. Their children are: Fred P., Alice M., Charlles E. and Willie L.

Jesse Tucker, a native of Canton, Mass., and his wife Rebecca (Fisher) Tucker, came to West Gardiner in 1806 and bought of Julius Morton, who then kept a store near by, part of the farm where his grandson, Edgar D. Tucker, now lives. Their ten children were born here and three daughters are still living. The children were: Lucy (Mrs. Woodman True), John, Rebecca (Mrs. Daniel Bartlett), Miss Hannah, Ann (Mrs. Moses True), Mrs. Jane M., Jesse, Jun., David, Elizabeth (Mrs. Thomas Barber) and Mary (Mrs. George H. Billings). David Tucker, who died in 1887, married Abigail W. Fuller, who died in 1861. His second marriage was with Susan Tappan. He was a farmer on the homestead. He left two children, Angelia and Edgar D., who married Annie E. Cram, and has two daughters, Florence E., and Jessie E. He is a farmer and occupies the homestead with his sister and two aunts, Hannah and Jane M. Jesse Tucker's parents were Benjamin and Jane (Babcock) Tucker.

Ezekiel Ware, born in Webster in 1822, is a son of James and Lydia (Staples) Ware, and grandson of John Ware. Mr. Ware came to West Gardiner in 1836, where he is a farmer. He married Jane S., daughter of Charles Smith. Their children are: John A., Georgia A., Martha L., Fred J., Jessie M., Frank E., and Irving L.

William H. Williams, son of James and Bethiah (Sparks) Williams, was born in 1824. His mother was born in Bowdoinham, Me., Mr. Williams is a farmer. His parents came from Saccarappa to West Gardiner in 1806. He married Eliza A., daughter of Samuel Butler. She died, leaving two children, James E. and Kate M.

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